Who Wants to Live Forever?
by Benji The Vampire Confuser
Summary: Crossover with Highlander and The Last Vampire. King Tut, and his ancient Vampiric lover Sita have arrived in Sunnydale. But who do they spell trouble for? The Scoobies? Or the host of Immortal serial killers who have also just hit town?
1. Default Chapter

**Who Wants To Live Forever?**

**Part of the Omniverse Project**

**by Benji: The Vampire Confuser**

_Author's Note: This obviously takes place before Becoming. For more on the Tut Sita relationship read What Was Lost Now Is Found._

_Buffy and all associated characters belong to Joss Whedon. Highlander and all associated characters belong to Rysher Entertainment (to the best of my knowledge). And The Last Vampire and all associated characters belong to Christopher Pike._

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"Greetings. You have reached the office of Rupert Giles. I'm not in at the moment, but if you'd leave your name and number at the tone, I'll get back to you."

*Beep*

"Rupert, it's Joe Dawson. I need some information when you get in. It's nothing urgent but-"

"Hello?" Giles answered the phone, having arrived just in time.

"Giles?"

"Yes Joe. What is it you need to know?"

"I understand the Tut Chronicles are being stored there?"

"That's correct. Can't imagine why, but I didn't ask either."

"I need you to look something up for me. I need to know if Tut was Ramirez' teacher."

"Hmmm," Giles thought a moment, trying to recall what volume that would be. "Hold on." He retrieved the correct tome from the shelf and flipped through it. "Yes it seems he was one of them. Tut was his first, but not his only teacher. From what I remember, Ramirez had at least three."

"Okay that's all I needed. Thanks."

"Not a problem Joe. Good to hear from you."

"You too. Bye."

* * *

"You know," Buffy said, as she, Willow and Xander approached the school. "I've always found it ironic that the school is built directly on the Hellmouth."

"Especially since the Library is sort of our headquarters, and it's the opening. When it's open I mean."

"No no." Xander corrected her. "It's; especially since Satan took up residence in the Principal's Office."

All three could see Snyder standing at the main entrance, making sure nothing untoward was going on. He especially watched Buffy.

"Snyder's not so bad." Willow stood up for him. Then she rethought her position. "Yeah, he is."

They passed Oz, who, failing to notice them, was staring at something to their right.

"You smell trouble boy?" Xander asked, lightheartedly teasing his best friend's boyfriend.

Oz smiled, acknowledging, but not taking offense. He merely pointed silently to two people standing in the shade of the trees. A business transaction was taking place. One person got money, the other got a plastic baggie filled with white powder.

"Should we be watching this?" Buffy muttered. "This isn't something I really needed to know about."

"Where's Snyder when-" She saw Snyder stalking towards the scene of the deal. "Oh."

At that moment, there was a screech of tires from down the street. A black sports car came barreling down the road towards the school.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Oz said.

"Oh so you get those too." Buffy agreed.

The boy selling the drugs also saw the car, and panicked. He pulled a gun from his pocket, too late. The passenger side window rolled down, and gunfire erupted from within.

There was immediate chaos in front of the school as panicked students frantically tried to get away. The drug dealer went down, and on instinct, Oz shoved Willow out of the way, just before he felt a stinging pain in his arm.

"Ouch! I've been shot!" he gritted his teeth in pain. "Again!"

* * *

"I hope this doesn't become a habit for you." Xander told Oz. "I mean, it's great that you keep saving Willow's life and all, but this could become hazardous to your health."

Willow sat next to Oz as they waited for the Ambulance.

"Well Will," Xander turned to her, "I'd say you've landed quite a catch here. How many guys would take a bullet for their girlfriend? And twice even?"

* * *

"I just can't believe it!" Cordelia said, as she and Xander walked to her car. School had been closed for the day. "I mean, you hear about it on the news, but you never expect it to happen to you!"

"We are talking about the drive by shooting and not a bad hair day right?" Xander asked.

"Give me some credit." Cordelia snorted. "And, I mean, here of all places. There's never been any gang violence here before, and, don't take this the wrong way, but this is the most mundane event that's happened here."

"It's happened in stranger places." Xander told her. "I read about some guy in West Virginia who was killed in a drive by shooting."

"You're kidding. What happened? Some redneck stick his shotgun out the window of his truck?"

* * *

"Stinkin' Rednecks." Tut grumbled for the tenth time that day.

"Get over it." Sita teased. Tut had been "killed" in a drive by shooting, and forced to leave school. "So you have to delay being a big movie star for a decade or two. You've got nothing but time."

She placed a comforting hand on his knee, steering the car with her other hand. "If it's any comfort, they won't be doing it again."

Tut looked at her, stunned. "You didn't."

Sita looked at him levelly. "I did. Who knows why they did what they did? I had to make sure they were taken care of."

Tut sighed. Violence for her was a way of life. For him it was merely survival. He knew he'd have to deal with it sooner or later, now seemed as good a time as any.

"Sita, pull over. We have to talk."

Sita, sensing he was upset with what she'd done, complied. _Here it comes._ she thought. _I know compared to me he's young, but he's still too old to be so naive._

"Sita," Tut began, "I want you to promise me, that when we get to where we're going, you will not kill, or even harm anyone. Unless," he added quickly, "It is absolutely necessary." He looked at her imploringly. "Will you do that for me?"

Sita looked into his eyes and saw his sincerity and his concern. _He really does value all life._ she realized. _As naive as it is, it's also damned admirable._

She took his chin in her hand and kissed him. "Yes," she told him, "I will do that for you. I promise."

Sita smiled. She had a very positive feeling about their destination. Sunnydale California. She'd acquired the house when she lived in Oregon as a possible safe house. She'd rented it so it would stay in good condition, the tenants had been evicted yesterday. They should be long gone by now, set up with another place to live.

"You have things arriving there?" she asked.

"That I do." he said. "I know I'm griping a lot, but believe me, I'm looking forward to this. I never did do the high school thing."

Tut looked at Sita and smiled. He was finally in a relationship that wouldn't end with his partner dying of old age.

Sita sensed the positive emotions from Tut and was happy. None of her other lovers had been truly able to take care of themselves, but she knew that Tut would not be taken from her as easily as some others had. She would make sure of that.

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Texas, 1990**

Smith sat trembling in the chair, he'd long since given up hope of getting out of there, but he did not want to die. He wasn't ready. He had so much more to do. Too many people were still alive.

He could still hear their screams in his head, see the blood as he cut them. God it had been glorious, the begging, the whimpering, and finally, the life fading from his victim's eyes. He sighed. Ah well, nothing lasted forever.

Through the window, he saw the audience. He'd stopped trembling, and now he felt a calm go over him. Then he noticed the smell. Seems they'd dropped the pellet. "So long folks!" he shouted. "It's been fun!"

The gas filled the chamber, and Robert Smith, serial killer, was dead.

He awoke, panicking. What had happened? Oh yeah, he'd died. So where was he now? It was dark, and he could sense that he was in a enclosed space. Was this hell? He felt around with his hands, and discovered the padded surroundings.

He'd seen enough coffins to know where he was now. _Well I'll be damned_. he thought. _Guess the gas didn't kill me._ Of course, his situation had not improved. Now instead of being gassed to death, he'd been buried alive.

Suddenly, his head began buzzing, and his stomach dropped out, as if he was going down the first hill of a roller coaster.

"Wow! That was almost as cool as killing somebody!"

Above him, he heard the sound of digging. Someone was robbing his grave? What luck! And what a surprise they'd get! A shovel struck the lid of his coffin, and he played dead. The better to scare the hell out of his rescuer. He felt air on his face, and heard the coffin open. _Here we go._ he thought.

"You can stop playing dead." Someone above him said. "I know you're awake."

Smith's eyes snapped open in astonishment. "What?" he asked.

"You've been given a rare gift my friend." the man with the shovel said. "I'm here to teach you how to use it. You're going to live forever." He grasped smith's hand and pulled him to his feet. "Oh, by the way" he said. "I'm Jack. Jack the Ripper. Maybe you've heard of me?"

* * *

**Sunnydale California 1998**

Smith sat with his new friends, Ted Bundy, Geoffrey Dahmer, and Richard Ramirez while their teacher and mentor, Jack the Ripper negotiated with the crippled young man.

"Why do we have to suck up to him again?" Ted wanted to know.

"He's sort of like the local mob boss or something." Geoff said. "We need his permission to operate here."

* * *

"Well," Spike mused aloud, as the five humans left. He'd given them his blessing. "It does my heart good to know that not all humans are the same."

"It's going to be such a fun time." Drusilla agreed. "Are we going to tell Angel?"

"Let's not just yet." Spike said. "Let's let it be a surprise."

* * *

"Good grief." Xander muttered. "Dozens of students die of mysterious causes, and nothing. One kid who doesn't even go here gets shot in a drive-by shooting, and Snyder puts up a metal detector."

Buffy wasn't quite clear on the logic either, but she was quite used to Snyder's strangeness.

* * *

"How'd you get your sword past that metal detector?" Sita asked Tut.

"Same way I get it past airport security." the Immortal smiled mysteriously. The question had been the first words Sita had uttered since they'd arrived in town last night. She'd refused to tell him what was wrong, but she seemed to be coming out of it.

Sita was worried, she should have checked out the town before buying here. She'd smelled it the moment they'd hit town. Vampires. The town was crawling with them. Dimishti Vampires, the worst kind.

And there was something else that bothered her, something about the school in particular did not sit right, it wasn't a smell, more a feeling in her blood, almost one of, coming home. It should be a soothing feeling, but instead it disturbed her.

However, she'd seen how happy Tut was here, and Dimishti would be no danger to her, and once she'd eliminated them, to anyone else. She shoved her feelings aside.

Tut stiffened unconsciously, somewhere nearby, was a pre-Immortal. Methos had taught him a little of how to sense them, but he'd grown rusty. He did however manage to narrow it down to one of the three students they now approached, but he could not tell which.

"Excuse me," Sita said, not being able to help noticing that all three of these people had the smell of Dimishti dust on them. They'd killed their fair share apparently. "We're new here,"

"That would explain why I don't remember you." the black haired boy said. He was a flirt that one.

"Could you tell us where the Principal's office is?" Tut asked.

"In trouble already?" the boy said. "You two work fast don't you."

Tut and Sita grinned. A wit.

The blond girl, who, Sita noticed, smelled even more of dead Vampires than the others, shook her head, amused, and pointed them in the right direction. Sita wondered just what was going on in this town. She'd rarely encountered a place so crawling with the undead, and only once before had she smelled a girl so dusted with dead Vampires.

* * *

**1000 B.C.E.**

Sita crouched, her nose to the ground, sniffing out the trail. The Vampires had gone this way. Nodding to herself, she looked up at her companion. She and Vespa had met in a wasted village, both with similar goals. To destroy the Dimishti Vampires. Though Sita knew what Vespa was, the Slayer was not aware of Sita's special powers, other than her being an exceedingly skilled tracker and fighter. She planned on keeping it that way.

Sita had been on their trail for two days since she'd first come across it in Rome. Then she met The Slayer. She'd heard legends about these girls, supposedly they'd existed ever since the Dimishti first appeared.

Vespa for her part was impressed with Sita's skill, and prowess in battle. She was second only to Vespa herself. Sita was the first civilian she'd ever allowed to accompany her on her mission. Half for the certainty that if she hadn't, Sita would have come anyway.

"They're nearby." Sita told her. "Very near."

"How far ahead?" Vespa asked.

Yakshini enhanced vision picked out the tracks on the ground, and then the wind shifted.

"They've doubled back!" she cried, shoving Vespa out of the way, as an arrow shot from a nearby grove of trees. The arrow pierced Sita's shoulder, sending burning pain through her left arm.

Vespa, to her credit did not miss a beat. She ran, low to the ground, towards the shooter, only to be ambushed by a group of ten Vampires.

"Hello Vespa." a familiar voice crooned.

Vespa's eyes narrowed as she faced off against the leader of this band. "Darla."

Darla's eyes widened in delight. "You've heard of me? I'm flattered!" She circled the Slayer, a mocking grin on her face. "So, you're my successor. And not a bad one from what I've heard. But can you stand up to the Master? Or even me?"

"Let's find out." Vespa muttered, feinting with her right hand, a stake clutched in her left.

Darla saw through the trick however, seizing her left arm, she twisted, snapping it in three places. Then, still holding onto the shattered arm, she grabbed Vespa by the throat with her free hand, choking off the girl's scream of pain.

"Some Slayer." Darla spat, and effortlessly snapped her neck.

"She wasn't alone." Darla spoke again. "Find her companion and make sure it's dead."

"Not hardly!" Sita cried, her shoulder had healed enough, and she leapt into the group of Dimishti, killing them swiftly and mercilessly. The one named Darla had escaped however. Still relatively young, Sita was unable to distinguish her particular scent, and let her go.

Crouching, she laid a hand upon Vespa's head. The girl was obviously dead. "Krishna's grace be with you." she whispered.

* * *

**California 1998**

Sita stiffened with the realization that she'd just met the current Slayer. A possible ally. She hardly needed one now, but she certainly wouldn't stand in the girl's way. _So long as she doesn't stand in mine.

* * *

_

Sita sat in the afternoon sun, waiting for Tut. Her first day at school had been pleasant. Nothing truly extraordinary happened, though she had noticed an odd sensation regarding a cheerleading trophy in the hall. She wasn't particularly worried about it though. Whatever it was, was securely trapped and was not likely to be able to break free.

Then there was the depressingly big Memorial board, for students who'd died. There were too many. As much death as she'd seen, even she was not unaffected by the numbers. She was even more determined than ever to rid this town of it's blight. The question was whether or not to tell Tut.

She saw him exiting, an amused smirk on his face.

"What's the joke?" Sita asked. "I love a good laugh."

"More ironic than funny." Tut answered her. "My last class today was ancient history. I've been assigned to write a biography of King Tut."

Sita laughed out loud. Not something she often did anymore. "And just what are you going to put in this little bio of yours?"

"I haven't decided." Tut smiled. "How much will they believe?"

Sita continued to smile as they walked to the car. She hadn't been this content since...Ray Riley. Her spirits immediately fell when she thought of the boy that had been torn from her.

"Drop me off at the store on your way home." Sita said. "I'm in the mood to cook tonight, and I need to pick up some things."

"Ooooh," Tut smiled. "What are you going to make?"

"I'm going to surprise you."

"Goody."

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Sita arrived home to find it completely transformed. There was a display case hanging on the wall with an assortment of bladed weapons in it. In the living room sat a Boesendorfer Grand Piano, and the shelves were now stocked with books, photographs, and framed portraits of various people. And there was a new, distinctly feline aroma wafting through the air. Lying on the piano was a medium sized black cat. It raised it's head at her entry, looked at her uninterestedly, and lay it's head down again.

"Someone's been busy." Sita remarked.

* * *

"All the place needed was an Immortal's touch." Tut smiled. He patted his belly in satisfaction. "Tomorrow," he said, "It's my turn to cook."

"It's a good thing we're Immortal then." Sita joked. She looked down at the cat curled contentedly in her lap. It had not surprised her that Tut had a cat, he was Egyptian after all, and still believed in the Egyptian gods.

"Where was this cat at WVU?"

"School didn't allow pets."

"Ah. What's the cat's name?" she asked.

"Oh," Tut exclaimed, startling the cat, "I forgot to introduce you. Sita, meet Isis. Isis, meet Sita."

*I take it this is your new mate?* Isis meowed.

"That's right."

Sita started. "What was that? You understand the cat?"

Tut nodded. "Cats by nature aren't very talkative. I'll explain. The Quickening is basically, well it's sort of like the force."

"What?" Sita said, smiling. "As in, Jedi?"

"Yeah, see, it's everywhere, and Immortals would be the Jedi."

"Good analogy. So how does that explain your Dr. Doolittle trick?"

"I can use the quickening to connect with other living things. It's a trick that my teacher taught me. From what I understand he's fallen out of the habit, but I've refined it over the years. I taught another Immortal how to do it, his name was Ramirez, and he taught his protégé. It's almost a lost skill. Very few Immortals know how to do it, and fewer still use it."

"I'd imagine it can come in handy."

"Extremely. I once had a run in with an Immortal who used it to control a pack of dogs. They'd run down an Immortal and make him an easy kill. Fortunately for me, I could do it too."

Sita gently removed the cat from her lap. "Sorry Isis." She stood and stretched langoursly. "I'm going to go for a walk."

"Want some company?"

"No, thank you. I need to think about some stuff." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Wait up for me."

Tut smiled. "Anytime."

* * *

Buffy strode confidently through the cemetery. She hoped Angel would show up. She was getting tired of dragging the ordeal out, and had decided she was finally ready to kill him. Suddenly, up ahead, she heard the sounds of battle. Springing to action, she leaped over a tombstone and raced around a tomb to see...

A blur of motion. That's all she could make out. Whatever it was was moving too fast for her too see. But it was making short work of a large group of Vampires. Almost as soon as she'd arrived on the scene, it was over. The Vampires were dead, and the force that had dispensed with them vanished.

"What the hell was that?" Buffy exclaimed to herself.

* * *

The next day, Buffy entered the Library with a purpose. She intended to find out what it was she had seen last night. And naturally, Giles was the man to ask. He wasn't in sight immediately, then she saw him, in his office talking to someone.

She waited patiently, then impatiently. She peeped into the office to see what was up, and saw that Giles looked very distressed.

"Ah, so the rumors were true." she heard behind her. She turned and saw the new boy behind her. "This school does have a library." He glanced around. "Why is the light so dim in here?" he asked. "What are you people, Vampires?"

"Vampires?" Buffy said defensively. "What Vampires there are no Vampires here! In fact there's no such thing as Vampires!"

The boy just stood there for a moment. "You don't drink de-café do you." he said finally. He approached her and extended his hand.

"We never actually met." he said. "My name's Tom Kammen."

"Buffy Summers." They shook hands. "Did you want something?"

"Oh, not really I was just familiarizing myself with the school. Actually, maybe you can help me. I want to show my girl friend a good time tonight, maybe you can suggest someplace?"

"Your girlfriend is the blond?" Buffy guessed.

"Yeah, Alisa."

"Cool. I approve, she's very pretty."

"Uh, thanks." Tut wasn't sure where they could go with this conversation. He'd gotten what he'd come for. The pre-Immortal wasn't Buffy. That narrowed it down to two people.

"So, anyway," Buffy said, breaking the awkward silence, "The Bronze is the only nightclub in town. You might try there."

"Cool." Tut thanked her. "See ya 'round."

"Yeah." Buffy sighed. "That could have gone better, could have gone worse too."

* * *

Sita sat in her Trigonometry class, not particularly paying attention. She already knew more about the subject than the teacher. Bored, she began sorting through the different scents in the room. Chalk, someone had eaten bacon for breakfast, she identified every brand of deodorant that was being used, there was apparently a new fragrance on the market, that one forgot to shower, and...

Sita turned her head slightly, her eyes picking out the interesting smell on the left side of the room. She remembered him from roll call. Oz. She wondered what his real name was. She sniffed again, confirming her suspicions. A werewolf. This town was just full of interesting things.

* * *

"So who was that guy?" Buffy wanted to know immediately.

"What? Oh, just another Watcher." Giles assured her. "Nothing important." But his mind was racing. One of the worlds oldest Immortals had taken up residence in Sunnydale. That was certainly going to make things interesting.

"You guys are not going to believe this." Xander declared, entering the Library with Cordelia close behind. He was holding the paper above his head like an Evangelist would hold a bible. "Check this out." He slapped the paper down on the table in front of Buffy.

Curious, she read. Five people, four girls and one boy had been found dead in various parts of the city. "Xander," Buffy said, "As tragic as this is, it's not news. In case you haven't noticed, death is not exactly an unusual occurrence around here."

"Read on my friend." the boy told her. "These people weren't drained of blood, or mauled by any animal. The boy was dismembered, mutilated and some parts were missing, and the other victims were beaten to death and raped, run through, strangled, and one girl had her throat cut. Those are all the M.O.'s of famous serial killers."

"Yes," Giles said, looking distressed, "Geoffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, the Boston Strangler, Robert Smith, and Jack the Ripper."

"Okay, it really frightens me that you guys know that." Buffy said. "So, besides Vampires and Demons, we've got a copycat killer on our hands?"

"Wait a minute," Cordelia exclaimed, "The paper placed the time of death to almost simultaneous. That would mean that either the killer's really fast, or there's more than one."

As shocking as that possibility was, it was nothing compared to the shock of hearing an intelligent deduction exit Cordelia's mouth.

"What?" she asked, as they stared at her.

* * *

Tut sat pondering his situation in the Bronze. Sita had promised to join him later, saying she had some business matters to attend to. But Tut didn't think that was it, he didn't think she was happy. Something was bothering her. His thoughts were interrupted when his stomach clenched slightly, while a mild buzzing filled his head. An Immortal. And then, underneath, another sensation. The pre-Immortal.

He looked around urgently, and found who he was looking for. The pre-Immortal was being led out the back by an Immortal. And she didn't look happy about it.

* * *

Willow's eyes were wide with fear as the man shoved her up against the wall. The man had come up to her while she was talking to Oz, and asked to buy her a drink. When she'd refused, he'd knocked out Oz and dragged her outside.

Of the others in the group, only Smith and Jack had any real interest in the Game. That was why Jack had taught Smith to sense a pre-Immortal.

"You're a very special girl Willow." Smith smiled. With one hand he held her against the wall. With the other, he drew his sword.

"It's just a shame," he said, relishing the fear in her eyes, "That you will never get to find out just how special." He thrust forward with the point of the blade.

Willow clenched her eyes shut, waiting for the pain she was sure would come, but it didn't. Instead, she heard the sound of steel on steel, and the man's hand fell away from her throat.

Opening her eyes, she was astonished to see the new boy, what was it Buffy had said his name was? Tom? Tom. Tom was standing between her and her attacker, brandishing a sword.

"You want a head," Tut said threateningly, "Take mine. If you can."

"Anything you say." Smith grinned, slashing with his sword.

"Willow run!"

She did, but not far. She had to see what was going to happen. Hiding behind a dumpster, she watched the duel.

The man was pathetic, Tut decided. It was no wonder he had to prey on the untrained. He had no skill with a sword at all. The fight did not last long.

"There can be only one." Tut said, as he delivered the killing blow.

It was all Willow could do to not scream, when Tom cut off the man's head. But she could not help it when she saw what happened next. It looked like Tom was being struck by lightening, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the lightening seemed to be coming primarily from the body of her attacker. What in the world was going on?

Oz was suddenly at her side, apparently recovered from the blow to his head. Together, they watched as electricity flickered across the alley, blowing out windows. Tut let out a scream that sounded equal parts pain and pleasure, and then silence. Tut fell to his knees, panting, his long black hair falling around his shoulders.

This time, when Willow ran, it was for real. Oz was right behind her.

* * *

Drusilla had just stepped out for bite, and found the pickings slim. She wandered for a while, still not having any luck, when suddenly, she heard a familiar scream. The scream brought back delicious memories of before she'd become a Vampire, and she gravitated to the source, a chorus of tiny voices, that she decided must be the worms in the earth whispered to her that a wonderful thing had been brought to her.

And there in an alley, she found her prize. He was just as she remembered him, only not flayed. "Thomas," she whispered, half to him, half to herself, "You came back to me."

Tut pulled in a lungful of air, recovering from the Quickening. After all these years, it didn't get any easier. The crunch of gravel brought him out of his reverie. "Willow," he started, "I told you to ru-" he opened his eyes. It wasn't Willow. He leaped to his feet, his face draining of color as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Drusilla?"

"Yes," she crooned, stroking his face gently, "It's me my pet." Then she hit him. Hard. She gathered his unconscious body in her arms and started back home. "I've got someone I want you to meet."

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**England 1860**

Tut heard the sound of weeping from round the back of the house. He hurried back, afraid of what he might find. Drusilla had been hit hard by the collapse of the mine. She wouldn't tell him why, but he guessed it had something to do with the conversation she'd had with her mother afterward.

Sure enough, his fiancée sat crying on a bench behind her house.

"Drusilla," Tut said softly, sitting down next to her. "What's wrong? Please tell me."

Drusilla looked at him sadly. Despite her plight, his mere presence was enough to cheer her up. "I can't." she said.

"Drusilla," Tut implored her, "We're to be married, you must trust me."

"I," she couldn't bear to look at him when she said it, "I can't marry you." Her eyes clenched shut as the tears returned.

"What?" Tut's face fell. "Why not? Drusilla tell me what's wrong! I deserve an explanation."

Taking a deep breath, Drusilla told him. The visions, the words her mother had spoken, leaving out only her visit to the confessional that morning, still not sure how to cope with what the priest had told her.

"Drusilla." Tut said. "Do not take this the wrong way, but your mother is a fool."

Her mouth opened with shock. "How d-"

"Let me finish." he insisted. "It is not for your mother to judge what is an affront to God. That is for God to judge only. This gift, yes, Gift, is from God not the devil. It is true that you saw a horrible thing that came to pass, but you did not cause it. God grants us each special gifts. To you he gave beauty, virtue, intelligence, and now the power to warn of danger before it occurs. You are not wicked. You could never be wicked. God did not design you that way. You could never be anything but the wonderful, good woman who has stolen my heart."

Drusilla smiled in spite of herself. "Then, you still wish to marry me?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes," he answered absolutely., "I do. With all my heart and soul."

"Then I will marry you." the girl smiled. All thoughts of her mother and the priest leaving her mind. Tut leaned in and kissed her gently on the mouth.

"Kids, kids!" a familiar voice mocked them from the darkness. "Save some for the wedding night!"

Drusilla gasped, recognizing the voice of the priest from the confessional. Why had he followed her? Unless he wasn't a priest?

A monster stepped from the shadows. Once it had been human, but one look at the creature's face proved that it was no longer.

"Ra's eye!" Tut swore under his breath in spite of himself. "A Demon!"

"It's a demon!" Drusilla screamed. "He's come to claim me because of my power!"

Tut was as certain as ever that her power did not come from any devil, but perhaps it had even come for her, to use her power for evil. But it would not. Not if he had anything to do about it.

"It shall not have you." Tut promised, rising to his feet and drawing his sword. "It will have to come through me first."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." the thing grinned.

"Drusilla get to the house." Tut ordered.

She tried to do just that, but suddenly two more monsters were in her way. They grabbed her and turned her back to the fight, forcing her to watch what came next.

Tut feinted with the sword, testing his opponent. He had not faced many Demons in his day, preferring to flee. But then, he had over a millennia of experience on his side. But the thing was fast. It dodged all but one of his blows, which caught it across the chest. It hissed in pain, but suddenly, it grabbed the blade in it's hand and pulled the sword from his grasp.

Tossing the weapon aside, it grabbed Tut by the throat.

"Now," Angelus said. "Tell me when it hurts."

Drusilla tried desperately to turn her head, or close her eyes, but her captors wouldn't let her. They forced her watch as the monster before her, tortured her beloved.

Tut woke, gasping, in his coffin. He coughed, amazingly glad his ordeal was over. He'd been gutted, and flayed alive.

It took him some time to free himself from his grave. By the time he'd gotten out, and returned to Dru's home, it had been burned to the ground, and her family had been killed. He found out that she'd gone into a convent, and had later been killed.

* * *

**Sunnydale, 1998**

"Spike," the Vampire girl sang, entering with her burden, "Look what I've found."

"What's that you've got there Ducks?" Spike asked, sitting in his chair, reading an Anne Rice book. They just kept getting funnier. "Did you get take out?"

"Oh, he's not for eating." Dru smiled. "At least not yet."

"What'd you bring home this time?" Angel called from the loft.

They were staying in another warehouse, this one nicer than the last one.

"I've brought an old friend home to play." she smiled. She set her prize down in a chair and began to tie it up.

Angel leaped down, curious. Had she captured one of Buffy's little friends? His widened in shock when he saw who it was in the chair. "The hell?"

* * *

**The Next Day**

"You're absolutely sure of what you saw?" an agitated Giles asked for the third time.

"I keep telling you yes." Willow said. "Me and Oz both saw it."

Giles sighed, removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. _Good lord,_ he thought. _I just can't keep ANYTHING a secret anymore can I._

"You know what's going on don't you Giles." Buffy said. "Spill it."

"Yes, I'm afraid I do." The Watcher admitted. "It means that the murders of the past two nights were not in fact perpetrated by copycat killers, but by the original killers themselves."

There was silence in the room. Everyone waiting for him to continue.

"You should know," Giles went on, "That much like in any Military organization, the Watcher Council occasionally classifies information on a need to know basis. And until just now, you did not need to know.

"Vampires and Demons are not the only forms of Immortal on earth." He went on to explain Immortals, and the Game.

"So, Tom is actually older than he looks." Cordelia guessed.

"Yes, quite a bit older. He is in actuality, over three thousand years old. His name is not really Thomas Kammen. It is Tutankhamen."

"King Tut?" Willow exclaimed. "Tom is King Tut?"

Giles smiled slightly. "Yes Willow. That's exactly it."

"But wait a minute," Oz broke in, "If that guy is Tut, then who'd they find in his tomb?"

"We don't know." Giles told him. "Tut himself has no idea."

"So what you're telling us," Xander said, "Is that Jack The Ripper, Geoffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy and The Boston Strangler are Immortal and loose in Sunnydale? Lock your doors tonight folks."

"That's not completely accurate." The librarian corrected him. "You see, The Boston Strangler, is not Immortal."

"Then who is it?" Buffy wanted to know.

"Most likely it is a man named Richard Ramirez."

"The guy who had no set M.O." Xander agreed. "That would make sense."

"Make sense?" Cordelia snorted. "Nothing in this town makes sense. And you REALLY know too much about serial killers Xander."

"Okay," Buffy said. "Let's sum up. We had five, now four Immortal Serial killers loose in Sunnydale. One is dead thanks to Tom, Tut, whatever his name is, after the bad guy attacked Willow. The others are still on the loose, and the only one who can find them is missing?"

"Missing?" Giles shot his head up. "What do you mean?"

"His girlfriend's looking all over for him." Oz told him. "He hasn't shown up for school."

Giles thought for a moment. "He may have simply left town." he said. "Perhaps he knew that he'd been seen by Willow and rather than let his secret get out, he left."

"Without telling his girlfriend?" Buffy asked dubiously. "Does that fit with his profile?"

"Actually no." Giles grudgingly agreed. "But there are still four of them left. He may be out searching for them."

"Tell me about the others. What do you guys know about them?"

"Not as much as we'd like." Giles answered. "There is a Watcher assigned to each Immortal, they record their actions, experiences and battles, but sworn never to interfere. But with Immortals as dangerous as these, well, volunteers are rather hard to come by.

"But we do know that they were banded together by Jack himself, and that they...tend to act in concert when faced with an Immortal."

Buffy had heard enough. She strode purposefully into the weapons closet, and exited with a sword.

"Buffy where are you going?"

"Tut may not be able to handle four on one. I'm gonna even the odds."

"Buffy you cannot interfere! The rules-"

"I'm not a Watcher, Giles." The Slayer interrupted. "I'm not Immortal either. Besides, four on one is against the rules too." With that, she left the library.

"How does she think she's going to get off school grounds in broad daylight with an un-concealed sword?" Oz asked.

* * *

Angel sat on a chair facing his prisoner, waiting. Being patient was never his strong suit, but somehow he managed it.

Groaning, Tut came to. His head didn't hurt as it might have someone else, being an Immortal had it's advantages. He opened his eyes carefully, preparing himself for whatever he may see. He remembered seeing Drusilla alive, and also remembered that he hadn't sensed a Quickening. He opened his eyes.

"Ra's Eye!" he cursed. Sitting before him, was the same monster that had killed him before Drusilla's eyes over a century ago.

"That's an interesting expression." it said. Though it no longer seemed appropriate. It's face no longer looked like that of a demon from hell, rather a handsome young man. What had happened? Every monster of this type he'd ever seen had that bumpy head thing going.

"What the hell are you?" Tut asked him.

Angel almost laughed. "You know I knew you were going to ask me that. I guess I'll tell you. I'm a Vampire." He was expecting many things, fear, disbelief even. But not laughter.

"Nice try." the Immortal said. "But I've lived with a Vampire, talked to one. Had my blood drunk by one. And you sir, are no Vampire."

Angel sat back. Pondering. "And what are you?" he asked. He wasn't sure how to convince the boy. After all, if he'd lived with a Vampire, and had fed one, he must know what they looked like when they fed. And he'd seen Angel in his Demon face.

"I don't think I'm going to tell you that."

"Are you two getting along?" Drusilla whispered in Tut's ear.

She'd crept up behind him, unseen. Circling to the front, she let him see her in all her demonic glory.

Despair and pity filled Tut's eyes, then fury. He glared at Angel. "I can forgive what you did to me. But for what you did to her, I'll kill you myself."

* * *

Sita cursed, crouching in the alley. The scent was very clear. Tut, an unfamiliar scent, ozone, and a Dimishti. She guessed that Tut had fought an Immortal, won, then been captured while he recovered from the Quickening. She didn't like to think what they would do to him if they discovered his powers.

"See something interesting?" Buffy asked from behind her, apparently thinking she'd snuck up on Sita.

Sita had of course smelled her a block away, further actually.

"As a matter of fact," Sita said. "No. But I certainly smell something very interesting." She stood, and pointed. "They went that way."

Buffy stood disbelieving for a moment. "I don't smell anything." She sniffed for a moment, and wrinkled her nose. "Nothing useful anyway."

"Yes well, you're only human."

"Oh? And what are you?"

"I'm a Vampire." She seemed to be quite free with that information these days. She'd have to watch that.

"Right." Buffy snorted. "Tell me another one. If you're a Vampire, how are you standing right in the middle of the sunlight?"

Before Buffy could blink, Sita had crossed the distance between them, grabbed her by the throat, and pinned her against the wall. "I'm not that kind of Vampire."

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"All right," Buffy reasoned. "I buy that you're a Vampire, but how does that work? You can be out in sunlight, you're wearing a cross around your neck, and you move like no Vampire I've ever seen."

Sita sniffed the air again. This was taking too long. She had no need of Buffy's help, taking her along was a courtesy, but it was slowing them down.

"There are more than one kind of Vampire." She explained. "In fact there are at least three that I know of. The only type that's truly evil, are the Dimishti. The type you're familiar with."

"And you are?"

"A Yakshini Vampire. The Dimishti are formed by replacing the human soul with a Demon. The demon is most often a Dimishti. But there are sometimes exceptions."

Buffy nodded absently. She remembered the Vampire who'd refused to kill Agent Scully.

"A Yakshini is formed by the joining of a Yakshini Demon and the human soul. They co-exist, becoming one entity. The personality of the soul remains, as does most of the moral code. The demon provides increased strength, and senses. It does tend to make one more violent however. I am the last of my kind."

Briefly, she explained the history of the Yakshini, including her own evolution from neophyte to drinking the blood of Kali herself.

"The third type is actually not really a demon at all." Sita continued. "Their blood is infected with a kind of Demon Virus. It gives them a bit of increased strength, but mostly it gives them other powers. I'm not clear on what all of them are really, they tend to keep it to themselves. I do know they can also come out during the day, and can turn themselves into wolves."

"And how is it that Giles has never told me this?"

"Because he doesn't know. What I've just told you goes no further." Sit stopped and looked at Buffy. "Promise me you will tell no one of what I have said."

"Sure," Buffy said. She could understand the need for secrecy. "I promise."

"Good, now, do you trust me?"

"Not particularly."

"Good enough." With that, Sita grabbed the Slayer, tossed her over her shoulder and ran along the scent trail leading her to her lover.

* * *

"So now what?" Oz asked. "I'm still relatively new to the Scooby Gang."

"Usually we just wait." Xander told him. "Unless we find out where she is, then we just sort of run off half cocked get ourselves into trouble and wait for Buffy to rescue us."

"That doesn't sound like a lot of fun." the young musician commented. "But then, nobody really said that saving the world was supposed to be fun. Well Spider Man might have said it once, but he was probably joking."

* * *

"Now remember," Jack reminded his students, "Do not harm the ones we came for. They're bait for our mystery Immortal. Any surplus ones, I'll take care of. Let's go."

The four homicidal sociopath Immortals entered the school, amazingly, attracting no attention.

* * *

"Why don't you just torture him?" Spike asked mildly. It was nearly noon, and Angel had yet to find out just what this Tom kid was.

"I've thought about it," Angel murmured, staring at the silent boy, "But it just doesn't seem, appropriate somehow."

"Don't tell me you're going soft," Spike said, "Again."

Angel just glared at him. "Hell with it." He stalked away, motioning for three others to stand watch over him. "I'm going to bed. You torture him if you want."

Spike merely shook his head in disgust. "Maybe later."

It was now or never, Tut decided. Angel and Spike were the only two, experienced (Vampires?) around. These three others were new. He could tell by the way they looked around nervously, shuffling from one foot to another.

"So," Tut said suddenly, "You guys audition for this gig or what?"

"Shut up."

"Ooo, friendly. You're new here aren't you. What'd they do, put an ad in the paper? I've wanted to know how thugs get hired."

"I said shut up!"

"And I heard you. I've been around the block a couple of times, let me give you a few pointers. First thing is, you've gotta stay cool, like me. Don't let anything get to you, if you do, you'll make a mistake."

"I said-" The surly (Vampire?) took a swing at him.

Tut brought his long since freed hands around to the front and ducked.

"What the-"

"You ever hear of a guy named Houdini?" Tut asked, after dodging the blow. "Good friend of mine."

He dove to the floor, as if doing a hand spring, and in a way, he was. But as his ankles were still bound to the chair, it came up with his feet. It made such a lovely crunching noise when he smashed it over the creature's head.

Landing more or less on his feet, he swayed till he caught his balance. The legs of the chair were still bound to his ankles, but he now drew them out. Brandishing one in each hand, he quickly staked the two attacking creatures, who immediately turned to dust.

"Woah," Tut muttered, "Maybe they really are Vampires."

The one he'd knocked down but not out with the chair leaped at him, snarling. In one smooth motion, Tut drew his sword from his coat, and brought it around to the Vampire's throat. "You guys really should search your prisoners more carefully." he told it, then cut off it's head. It too disintegrated.

He stood still for a moment, listening for any sound or movement.

Nothing. He knew he didn't have much chance of finding Dru or the others, but he knew that Sita would be able to find them. Turning, he stalked out of the building, headed for the school.

_Besides,_ Tut thought. _If those things really were Vampires, then Sita's got some explaining to do._

* * *

He didn't quite know how he knew, but something was wrong. He knew the moment he set foot in the hall leading to the library. He picked up his pace, running now instead of his leisurely stroll.

The library appeared empty at first glance when he entered. But a soft groan soon alerted him to the presence of an occupant. The library was a mess. Looking over the counter, he saw Oz, looking quizzically at his midsection.

"Um," Tut greeted, "Hi Oz."

"Hey, uh, Tu- er, Tom."

Tut caught the slip. It seemed he'd been found out, but it also seemed that Oz was willing to let the secret stay a secret. Good.

"The hell happened here?" Tut asked, trying to stay calm. Had the Vampires been here?

Oz struggled to his feet, staring at his own stomach again. "Uh, some guys, I think it was those guys behind the murders. They came and just, well, attacked. They grabbed Giles, Cordelia, Xander and Willow. And, left I guess."

"Why didn't they kill you?"

"Uh," Oz looked once more at his stomach, where, Tut finally noticed, a ragged hole lay in his shirt, "I think they thought they did?"

Oz wasn't an Immortal, Tut knew that, so how could he survive what looked like had been a fatal wound?

"Why aren't you dead?" Tut asked him. Oz hesitated. "Look, I know you know what, or at least who I am. I'll make you a deal. You keep my secret, and I'll keep yours."

Oz took a deep breath. "I'm a Werewolf."

"Ah," Tut realized, "That would explain it. Their weapons must not have been made of Silver."

"You don't seem exceptionally surprised."

"That's because I'm not." the Immortal told him. "I've met your kind before."

"Oh. Cool." Then he seemed to remember something. "Oh!" He ran around the counter and grabbed a piece of paper off the floor. "They left this for you."

"Did they." He took the note and read it quickly. It was from Jack the Ripper. He wanted Tut to meet him on the roof of the Bronze at midnight. If not, the hostages would be killed in typical fashion.

"So what are you going to do?" Oz asked. "You know it must be a trap."

"Of course it's a trap." Tut agreed. "It's always a trap. But the priority here is to make sure our friends stay safe."

"So?"

"So I'm not going to the Bronze."

"What?"

"We're going to find the hostages first, free them, and then I'll take care of our sociopath friends."

"Do you always sound like a comic book character in these situations?"

"Only in recent years. They didn't have comic books for the majority of my life."

"Okay, so how are we going to find them?"

"Well, that's where it gets weird."

"Okay, after recent events around here, I'm ready for anything."

"We're going to use your Werewolf abilities."

Oz looked at him for a moment. "But it's not a full moon."

"It doesn't matter. That part of you is still in you. I can get in synch with that, and use it to find the scent."

Oz smiled. "Okay I'll buy that. I suppose that means I'll need to tag along. Good. What's the plan once we get there?"

"I distract them while you get the others clear."

The look on Oz's face told him that even had his presence not been required, he would have insisted on coming along. He was after all, Willow's boyfriend.

"Let's go get 'em."

* * *

Buffy stared at the smashed chair in the empty warehouse that Alisa had brought her to.

"Looks like we missed the party." she said.

Sita could see the particles of dust left by three dead Vampires.

"He's quite proficient." Sita remarked. He killed three of themsingle handed. She beamed inwardly with pride. She sniffed the air. There were three others in the warehouse, but they left recently. She turned towards the door. "Let's go."

Buffy shrugged. "Where to?"

"Where ever Tom went of course."

"Gotcha." Did Alisa know what Tut was? Or even who he was? She decided not to betray his secret just yet. It was really for him to tell her.

* * *

Geoffrey smiled at the young man bound to the chair before him. He hoped Jack would return soon. He couldn't wait to get started. The others were similarly bound. Ted had claimed the one named Willow, as Jack had called dibs on the taller one. As for the old man, Richard wasn't too upset with the leftovers. He'd always been a versatile sort. He was right now devising just how he would kill the Librarian.

The look of absolute terror in the hostages' eyes delighted and excited all three Immortals. Apparently these people knew exactly who they were and what they had planned.

Xander struggled briefly against his bonds briefly, mainly to make him feel as if he were at least trying. The gag in his mouth made it hard to breathe, but he managed. He hoped to God, Buffy would find them, hell that anyone would find them. Otherwise, they were screwed.

Ramirez paused in his thinking, in his hands was a brand new double barreled shotgun. He had yet to decide if he would use it to kill his victim or not. It seemed to lack originality, but it made such a lovely noise. The reason he paused was that he suddenly felt the presence of another Immortal.

"Jack's back." Ted muttered, smiling slightly. "The fun begins."

"If that's what you wanna call it." Tut called from above.

Stunned, all three psychos looked up. The Immortal that Jack had discovered was in town dropped from the rafters on top of Ramirez, forcing him to drop the shotgun.

Tut dragged the Immortal to his feet, and drew his, and Smith's swords, handing Smith's to Richard. "By the rules. Let's go."

"Sure," Ramirez said, "Why not." He lunged at Tut, feinting.

Tut realized with almost pleased surprise that Ramirez was much more skilled than Smith had been.

Ted smiled at Geoffrey. "Looks like they're ignoring us." he said. "Let's have some fun."

Geoffrey drew a stiletto from his sleeve and advanced on Xander.

And flew sideways sharply, blood spraying from the gunshot wound he suddenly sported.

"Woah," Oz swallowed. He'd picked up Ramirez's dropped gun. "I just shot somebody." Unflappable was a word that many used to describe Oz. But there were some things even he had trouble handling. His face betrayed no emotion, but his eyes were locked on the body of the man he'd just shot. He felt frozen.

Ted took advantage of the boy's distraction and grabbed Willow's chair, intent on dragging it away from the fray. The sight of Willow in danger shook Oz from his state of shock. He dove at Ted Bundy, slamming into the man's side, knocking him down, but dropping the gun in the process. Willow gave a muffled scream as she fell backwards, pain flared through her arms as they struck the floor with her full weight slamming down on them.

Infuriated, Ted wrapped his hands around the Oz's throat. "You're not my type kid, but since I'm not using my usual M.O., I think it's okay."

Oz knew this man couldn't kill him, he was a werewolf. If being run through didn't kill him, he was sure that being strangled wouldn't do it either. But if he lost consciousness, then Willow would be at the man's mercy.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the dropped gun.

Tut knocked the sword from Richard's hand. "You were more of a challenge than your friend Smith." Tut told him. "But still not good enough." He raised the sword. "There can be only one." One swipe finished off Richard Ramirez, a.k.a. The Night Stalker. The electricity began to build as the quickening began.

Oz's hand closed on the shotgun even as his vision began to fade.

His blood pounded in his ears, and he could hear Tut screaming. He hoped that meant he'd won.

Ted grunted as the barrel of the gun slammed into his head, but he held on, only drawing back from the boy a bit. But it was as much room as Oz needed to place the barrel against the man's Adam's apple.

_If I was an action hero,_ Oz thought, _I'd say something witty right about now._ Instead, he just pulled the trigger.

Ted's head was blasted from his body by the shot gun, spattering Oz with blood.

Tut's eyes widened when he realized what was about to happen. The quickening from Richard wasn't even finished, but another Immortal was dead, and he was the only, no, he realized with gladness. Geoffrey was closer.

Oz freed Willow from the ropes and helped her to her feet.

"You okay?" Oz asked, hugging her.

"Yeah," she answered. "I think so." She checked her arms. "Nothing broken."

They walked to Xander, somehow ignoring the massive electrical storm that surrounded the fallen Geoffrey Dahmer. Or the dying one that still assailed Tut.

Willow took the gag from the boy's mouth, and he immediately took a deep breath.

"Some party." he muttered. Then his eyes widened in shock. "Look out!" he cried.

Oz and Willow whirled to see Dahmer charging at them, the stiletto still clutched in his hand. He screamed something incomprehensible and thrust the blade at Willow.

For the second time in two days, Willow was saved from being run through at the last second. The stiletto dropped from Dahmer's lifeless hand, hitting the floor at about the same time as his head.

Tut stood panting, behind the now dead Immortal. "I hope this isn't going to become a habit with us." he said, instantly before Dahmer's Quickening hit him.

Willow and Oz quickly freed Xander and moved on to Giles.

Tut rocked with the energy flowing into him, finally falling to his knees. "Ugh," he grunted, "Two Quickenings in a row. That's not happy."

"Then allow me to end your suffering." someone said, just before Tut felt cold steel at his throat. "I waited for you at the Bronze, Tut." Jack said. "Naturally I didn't expect you to find us here, but when you didn't show I hurried back anyway. And what do I find? All my students, my friends dead. But at least I'll still have your head."

He kicked Tut's sword away and swung back, ready to make the kill. "I do hope you'll relay my farewells to the others when you see them in hell."

"You'll be able to do it yourself!" Sita screamed in fury from the doorway. Before Jack's sword could reach her lover's neck, she'd leaped across the floor. Jack managed, by sheer luck, to impale the girl on his sword, running her through. But her hands still found his head.

"You can't interfere!" Jack admonished her, thinking she was as good as dead. "The rules!"

"I've never been one for rules." she hissed, and prepared to finish him off.

Somehow sensing that she was fully capable of killing him, his eyes teared. "No, please," he begged softly. Only Sita was able to hear him. "I don't want to die."

"Then you should never have been born." she told him, and ripped off his head.

While Tut was struck with the third Quickening in one night, Sita pulled the sword from her body, grimacing in pain. But she was healing already.

Buffy shook her head, half in amazement, half in sadness. She suddenly felt like a fifth wheel. The bad guys were dead, and she hadn't had to lift a finger.

Sita, fully healed, helped a thoroughly exhausted Tut to his feet. To his knowledge, no Immortal had ever taken three consecutive Quickenings. He would need a good night's sleep tonight.

"So," he asked, "Is it always this exciting around here?"

"Are you kidding?" Buffy said, as they joined their friends. "This is a slow night."

"Yeah," Willow said, "It always seems to start on Tuesday."

The End


End file.
